Authorities said that an Ohio grand jury refused to indict a police officer last year who was driving a patrol car when it struck a man who later died.
Amanda Rosales, a Springfield Police Officer, was facing potential charges for reckless vehicle homicide or negligent vehicle homicide. However, she was not indicted Wednesday by the Clark County grand jury.
Cole died shortly after midnight, following an incident that occurred at 11:30 p.m.
Anthony Pierson, senior associate attorney general, stated Wednesday that Rosales was driving alone in her squad car when she went looking for addresses and was going about 17 mph to find Cole.
A Cole gunshot wound did not pose a threat to his life, according to an autopsy. Pierson stated that Cole was high on cocaine and alcohol, which could have been a factor in why he was walking down the street.
Pierson stated that she did not see Mr. Cole lying on the road. He died from blunt-force trauma to his torso, not the single gunshot wound that he received.
Friday was not the day that Cole’s family reached out to an attorney. Cole’s family members were also unavailable.
Rosales, Springfield Police Department, and the union representing officers could not be reached Friday for comment.
The grand jury heard evidence that Cole called 911 just before he was hit by the police car.
A dispatcher repeatedly heard him tell that he was in his final moments. Pierson stated that he also claimed he was in middle of street. This information was not relayed verbally to responding officers by the dispatcher, but was entered into a police database, Pierson stated.
Pierson stated that officers don’t usually look at their computers while driving because of the danger involved.
Cole told 911 dispatcher that he had just been hit by the police officers, according to Cole’s 911 call.
The dispatcher replied, “Who hit?”
Cole stated, “The police.”
Rosales was put on paid leave last summer after the incident. It was not clear what her status was with the department on Friday.
Yost described Cole’s death as a “tragic circumstance.”
He said that Cole had previously broken up with his then-girlfriend and physically assaulted her before she was fatally struck. Yost stated that Cole’s ex-girlfriend was treated and reported the incident to police.
Yost stated that Cole was upset by the breakup and went looking for his ex girlfriend. He bought a gun and fired it.
Yost stated that Yost “went out on the night in question” and had his own Wild West Springfield.
Pierson stated that Cole had gone to a nearby neighborhood where his ex-girlfriend was looking for him before he was killed. Cole was not able to find her so he got into an altercation and started firing at two brothers. One of them fired back and Cole was struck.
